Comrades:

As we debate the undemocratic expulsion of Mr. Lamin Waa Juwara, a trend of
exits is emerging within the UDP.

Please read the following excerpts:

Following Juwara’s expulsion UDP supporters quit

A group of UDP supporters and sympathisers have declared that they have
quitted the main opposition party as a result of the expulsion of Lamin Waa
Juwara. Speaking to The Independent, Mansour Saidy, UDP’s Kombo South
Propaganda Secretary, said that he joined the UDP with the hope that the party
would be able to march The Gambia to freedom and democracy. He added that
since he joined the party from the scratch, he has been participating in all
its activities and programmes. Mr. Saidy queried that the leadership of the
UDP had disappointed its supporters.

According to him, Juwara’s expulsion was unjustifiable and wrong. He added
that “Juwara alleged that there was misappropriation of the party’s funds by
the leadership and therefore called for the setting up of independent
commission of inquiry to investigate the allegation, but instead of doing
that, few people met and expelled Juwara”.

Mr. Saidy argued that the UDP is not a party which right-thinking people
should support. He declared that “from today, I’ve quitted the UDP and I will
join any party that Juwara will form”. Faye Sanneh, UDP’s constituency
chairman, Lower Fuladu West, said when he attended the meeting during which
Juwara was expelled, he rejected the expulsion because the majority of the
constituency chairmen were not present. He pointed out that there was no
justification for expelling Juwara “because he proposed that a commission of
inquiry be set up. This should have been set and the expulsion to be followed
if necessary”. Kebba Daffeh of Kembujeh told The Independent that “I am out of
the UDP with immediate effect.

Darboe’s leadership is not ideal at all. He is not ready to die for his
supporters and I don’t think we should also die for him.” Malang Fatty, a key
UDP supporter in Brikama-ba, said Darboe has disappointed the entire UDP
membership. He added that “we kept on blasting Jammeh’s administration for its
lack of accountability, honesty and transparency since the military coup. But
today, accusing fingers were pointed at Darboe himself for the same anomaly
and he refused to be probed”. He remarked that this is enough proof that there
is no truth in the UDP.

Manfanding Sumareh of Fuladu Wellingara, said he joined the UDP because he
believed it was the party of truth and honesty. He added that “now that Juwara
was expelled for just telling the truth, I’m convinced that the UDP is not
worth my support and I should not be counted as UDP supporter any more”.
Basiru Manka, who was reportedly subjected to a lot of harassment and
indecencies by the authorities while in the UDP, stated that what Darboe did
was suicidal. He claimed that Darboe has destroyed what his supporters built
in five years.

Mr. Manka opined that “every Gambian has now realised that Darboe’s leadership
will not make any positive impact for the UDP and therefore called on the
people not to support him. Kebba Camara, an out spoken UDP politician in the
Brikama car park, said Juwara’s expulsion was a decision of few people and not
the majority of UDP membership. He added that Juwara is expelled “but those
who expelled him should know that the majority of UDP supporters will follow
him wherever he goes”. He pointed out that “Darboe and his so-called friends
owned the name of the UDP but they don’t own the supporters. “We own ourselves
and we will do whatever we want”.


Naphiyo,
Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh

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